Chapter Text
I haven't done this since I was a teenager, specifically middle school. I don't remember why I stopped, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to give updates on my life.
First of all, I'm now 22. I moved out once I turned 18 and I made sure to move as far away from my parents and Manny as my budget would allow me to. Rodrick did the same thing when he turned 18, and last I heard, he moved to New York. I, on the other hand, live in California. He may be family, but I don't think we're meant to be roommates beyond high school. He was always such an ass. That being said, I haven't spoken to Rodrick since he uprooted his life in the Midwest where we grew up. And quite frankly, I have no interest in getting back in touch with him. I haven't bothered to stay in contact with Manny either, and for a good reason. He's even worse than Rodrick! I could go on and on about how much I despise that little cretin, but if I wanted to torture myself like that again, I would read my old journals from middle school.
Mom and Dad have been blocked on Facebook since Thanksgiving. I should also mention that when I moved all the way to the west coast, I never bothered giving anyone my new address. I thought about telling Rowley, but he's never been good at keeping secrets. And if he knew, I would have to deal with everyone in my personal space all over again. I do feel bad for keeping Rowley in the dark about my whereabouts, but I wouldn't sacrifice all the peace and quiet I have now. It's nice not being tortured by my brothers, and it's especially nice to not have to deal with Mom and Dad.
Speaking of whom, where do I start?! I got into an argument about something with them over Thanksgiving dinner and it resulted in us not being on speaking terms. Mom is pretty torn up about it, but I still haven't forgiven her or Dad. And maybe I never will. Rodrick wasn't in town when it happened, but I still had to put up with Manny. And believe me, if I thought he was a pain in the ass as a toddler, he's an even bigger pain in the ass now as a teenager. He also just got out of juvie for vandalism. Apparently, Manny is failing algebra, and the teacher gave him an F on a quiz he took. So as revenge, Manny completely destroyed her classroom after everyone left for the day. Mom and Dad used to favor Manny over me and Rodrick, but in recent years, they seem to regret doing so. But until they get over their stupid ideas and mindsets, I won't be visiting them anymore.
Rodrick doesn't seem to be too involved with family visits either. In fact, I think the last time he showed up to a family event was 2 years ago. He doesn’t even bother video calling. I guess I can't blame him there. Manny has tried to be my friend on Facebook, but I blocked him after he started going through my stuff and telling our parents what was on my page. Not that it was anything inappropriate, but I'm under the impression that you should mind your own business on Facebook. For whatever reason, most people don't see it that way. It was also at that point when I decided to delete my old posts and set my privacy settings higher. So now nobody can see my stuff unless they're already friends with me.
Social media aside, I have taken all the stuff I wanted to with me when I moved to California. It wasn't a lot because
- I was broke, and
- Most of the things in my childhood home were a bunch of useless junk that my extended relatives got me for Christmas or my birthday.
And given how small my studio apartment is, I couldn't squeeze a whole lot in here anyway. I'm just glad I got to keep all my video games and consoles. Other than that, and a few clothes, I purchased whatever I could. And let me tell you something, living in California is EXPENSIVE! But with all the freedom I have now, I say it's worth the price. I moved here mainly because I always wanted to live in the tropics. But it's actually super hot in California no matter what time of year it is. But I've always been a skinny guy, so it doesn't affect me much, and it sure beats the harsh winters of the Midwest. I don't miss freezing my ass off in the snow at all! As for my source of income, I got a job at UPS. It's not how I pictured my life going career wise, but it's better than nothing. I guess being rich and famous will come to me later on, but I hope it comes soon, because I really need to buy groceries.